Sanjay Dutt wants to surrender in prison

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt watches as the inauguration of Mobile Mamography Unit to leading oncologist Dr Advani's Helping Hand foundation on behalf of the Nargis Dutt memorial charitable trust is underway. The court sentenced Dutt to five years in prison for illegal possession of weapons supplied by Muslim mafia bosses linked to the terror attack that killed 257 people in Mumbai. (AP Photo)

Actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted in the 1993 bomb blasts case, told a designated TADA court in Mumbai on Tuesday that he is facing threat to life from fundamentalist groups and hence should be allowed to surrender before Yerwada jail instead of the special court.

Judge GA Sanap has asked CBI to file a reply and posted the hearing on Dutt's plea Wednesday.

Dutt filed the application in the TADA court, hours after the Supreme Court refused to grant him additional time to surrender for undergoing the remaining 42 months jail term in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear the plea of a film producer, who sought more time for the actor to surrender in order to complete two films which are under production.

A bench of justice BS Chauhan and justice Dipak Misra refused to hear the plea of a film producer in this connection.

On May 10, the SC had dismissed his plea seeking review of its judgment on his conviction and five-year jail term. Earlier on April 15, he had been granted four weeks more time to surrender to undergo the remaining jail term.

The apex court had on March 21 upheld his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

Dutt was convicted by the TADA court for illegally possessing a 9 mm pistol and an AK-56 rifle, which were part of a consignment of weapons and explosives brought to India for coordinated serial blasts that killed 257 people and injured over 700 in 1993.

Dutt has been sentenced to five year jail term. He is supposed to surrender before jail authorities on May 16 to undergo his remaining jail term. He has already served one-and-a-half-year jail term.